Question
What is the difference between obligatory and required, recommended and permissible, and Sunnah and confirmed Sunnah?
Answer
I say, and with God's help: The obligation is what is missed if it is not fulfilled, and the duty can be performed without it but is incomplete. The permissible is what is correct, and the Sunnah is what one is rewarded for doing, and here it means what is recommended. The confirmed Sunnah is what one is rewarded for doing and is reprimanded for neglecting. And God knows best.